B o e k h a n d e l

K i r c h n e r

1.2.4.1 Jesaja

Deutero-Isaiah's work, which comprises Isaiah chapters 40-55, has exerted its influence on testimonies of faith in both Jewish and Christian tradition down to the present day.

Baltzer's magnificent commentary places the document in the new context after the Exile. The experience of catastrophe, the need to grapple with new problems, and hope for a peaceful future are linked in Deutero-Isaiah's composition. The work aims to establish accord between adherents of the Jacob/Israel tradition on the one hand and those committed to the Zion/Jerusalem tradition on the other - the background being the tensions between the exiles and the people who had remained on the land.

The Message of Isaiah 40-55 traces the argument of Isaiah 40-55 to show how the chapters bring a message of encouragement and challenge about God's intention to restore the Judean community, some of whose members are in exile in Babylon, others living in the city of Jerusalem that has lain devastated since it fell to the Babylonians in 587. The chapters hold before this community's eyes a vision of the nature of its God as the powerful creator and the loving restorer. In the course of following the argument, the reader becomes aware that the chapters have to deal with their audience's mysterious resistance to their message. It cannot give God the kind of response the message needs and deserves, nor can it fulfil the role as God's servant that is designed for it. God nevertheless remains committed to it.

The prophet eventually becomes aware of a distinctive personal calling to embody that response, until the people are ready to do so. It is the prophet's willingness to do this (notwithstanding the suffering it brings) that embodies the kind of ministry that needs to be exercised to them so that they may be brought back to God and find a restoration of spirit, as well as a physical restoration.

The first of John N. Oswalt's two-part study of the book of Isaiah for the NICOT series, this commentary on chapters 1-39 combines theological acumen, literary sensitivity, philological expertise, and historical knowledge to present a faithful and accurate reading of one of the Old Testament's most important books.

In the introduction to this work, Oswalt considers Isaiah's background, unity of composition, date and authorship, canonicity, Hebrew text, theology, and problems of interpretation, and he offers a select bibliography for further research. Oswalt also provides substantial discussions of several issues crucial to the book of Isaiah. He notes, for example, that scholars often divide Isaiah into three divisions, with chapters 1-39 addressing Isaiah's contemporaries in the eighth century B.C., chapters 40-55 presupposing the exile of the sixth century, and chapters 56-66 presupposing the eventual return from exile. While taking this scholarship into account Oswalt defends the unity of the prophetic book and argues convincingly that the whole book can be attributed to the Isaiah of the eighth century.

The commentary proper, based on Oswalt's own translation of the Hebrew text, provides pastors, scholars, and students with a lucid interpretation of the book of Isaiah in its ancient context as well as an exposition of its message for today.

This long-anticipated work completes John Oswalt's two-volume commentary on the book of Isaiah. After opening with a valuable discussion on the state of Isaiah studies today, Oswalt provides an insightful verse-by-verse explanation of Isaiah 40-66, giving special attention to the message of the prophet not only for his own time but also for modern readers.

This new book in the "T&T Clark" approaches series introduces students and general readers to the book of "Isaiah". "An Introduction to the Study of Isaiah" provides readers with a guide to the central issues arising from various approaches to this influential prophetic text. Readers will be introduced to the diverse methods and results of modern Isaianic study. They will see how these approaches differ from, and relate to one another. After a brief introduction, this book gets right at the heart of the current diversity in "Isaiah" studies by identifying the trends in, and tracing the history of contemporary Isaianic scholarship. With this groundwork in place, this study examines various theories regarding the formation of "Isaiah", ways in which scholars connect "Isaiah" to its historical context, the contributions of literary theory to understanding "Isaiah", and finally theological approaches to the book. Because of its emphasis on method, this book will be important for students concerned with negotiating the vast and diverse body of scholarly literature that now surrounds this central biblical book. These guides have been developed for those taking a course in biblical studies in theological or ministerial education, and are designed to introduce the reader to the various approaches to the study of the bible. The series is ecumenical, and all the writers are professionally engaged in the teaching of biblical studies.